2020 Health & Fitness Thread

I’m so burnt out on home workouts I can’t see straight. Still plugging away at it but motivation is waning.

Finished up with Menno. Got me close to where I’m looking to be bf% wise, so I can take it from here.
 
At least you are seeing progress even if it is slow. I wouldn’t change too much out of fear that it might lead to a setback... All about keeping at it and eventually progress does come.

Yesh, "incremental progress" I keep telling myself. I can only walk so fast before it`s not really walking any more.

With my walking I now sometimes walk for about a mile on the beach barefoot which slows me down some but maybe if I keep at it I’ll be able to speed up gradually. It is definitely the hardest part of the 4 mile total trip. I remember when walking on a slight incline on a bridge made me feel it in my legs for a while but gradually that went away and I zip through the incline now..


Since you`ve only been doing it barefoot for a while I bet it will get easier as you acclimate.

jrock645 said:
I’m so burnt out on home workouts I can’t see straight. Still plugging away at it but motivation is waning.

Well, maybe they`ll open up your gym soon...I hear they are already doing that in some places.

Are you able to challenge yourself at home?

Guess I`m finding this situation interesting if only because I`m so all about my at-home approach. If I had to train in a gym I`d be very hard-pressed to do it, simply can`t *imagine* it. It`s like you and I are flip sides of the coin in this regard.

Finished up with Menno. Got me close to where I’m looking to be bf% wise, so I can take it from here.


That`s good! Sounds like you feel you got your $`s worth from him.

What`s your diet like these days? Do you like it better than the Keto?
 
Lots of veggies and fruits. Lean proteins like chicken breast, flank steak or lean ground beef, some fish/shrimp, yogurt, eggs/egg whites. At about 2300cals at the moment. Shooting for just under a gram of protein per lb, around 70g of fat and about 250g of carbs. I like it but hunger is a constant battle. Have to stay on schedule or hinger can quickly derail me.
 
I can find ways to challenge myself at home but i cant lift as heavy as i need to so theres more higher rep work, which gets draining after a while.
 
jrock645- I was really liking the sound of your current dietary regimen until I got to that "always hungry" part. Is that just when you`re late for a feeding?

And yeah..I hear you on how high-rep work with lighter weight can`t really substitute for going heavy, thanks for explaining. Is that mainly with regard to Legs and Chest (just guessing...those are what I really need "all my stuff" for) or with other bodyparts too?
 
jrock645- I was really liking the sound of your current dietary regimen until I got to that "always hungry" part. Is that just when you`re late for a feeding?

And yeah..I hear you on how high-rep work with lighter weight can`t really substitute for going heavy, thanks for explaining. Is that mainly with regard to Legs and Chest (just guessing...those are what I really need "all my stuff" for) or with other bodyparts too?

As for the hunger, its just part of being in a deficit. I get a lot of fiber- around 60g per day from actual food(not supplemental fiber, which doesnt count). And its still a struggle sometimes mentally. Part of it is i work around food, so theres always stuff in front of me provoking the thought.

Yeah cheat is the big one. I can add bands to db movements but it gets awkward to the point of not feeling safe. Legs i actually dont have a problem with weight for, its just i hate the actual movements im limited to right now.

The part about the higher rep work that people dont realize is that youre inadvertently doing a higher training volume than you might intend. It might still just be 2 sets, but doing 15-20 vs say 8, your total tonnage will be much higher and it sneaks up on you. And one of the beat ways to break the plateau and dissipate the fatigue is lower rep work, but thats just not available at the moment.
 
As for the hunger, its just part of being in a deficit. I get a lot of fiber- around 60g per day from actual food(not supplemental fiber, which doesnt count). And its still a struggle sometimes mentally. Part of it is i work around food, so theres always stuff in front of me provoking the thought.

Ah, yeah...I eat tons of fiber too.

So you`re in caloric deficit at ~2300...OK that didn`t occur to me. I also tend to forget that different people view food differently from Yours Truly :o Being around food usually turns me *off* for some reason, even stuff I like..I just never want to eat, or even be around food, unless I`m hungry, and any time I am hungry I eat.

Yeah cheat is the big one. I can add bands to db movements but it gets awkward to the point of not feeling safe. Legs i actually dont have a problem with weight for, its just i hate the actual movements im limited to right now.

I bet that`s awkward! I`ve never figured out how to do Bands + Freeweights for Chest..basically just do that for different types of Rows and Leg Lifts, otherwise I either use the Bands by themselves or hook them up to the cable/pulley setup.

And I`m really surprised that you have sufficient weight for working your Legs, but then we`re probably going about it differently. Gee, I would`ve thought that was a big stumbling block!

The part about the higher rep work that people dont realize is that youre inadvertently doing a higher training volume than you might intend. It might still just be 2 sets, but doing 15-20 vs say 8, your total tonnage will be much higher and it sneaks up on you. And one of the beat ways to break the plateau and dissipate the fatigue is lower rep work, but thats just not available at the moment.
Ah, I found that interesting too, if only because I hardly *ever* drop below, say...12 reps, and often go higher these days.

Do you think that kind of volume increase leads to overtraining (there I go again with that ;) )?

I guess I don`t think in terms of "fatigue" with regard to my workouts since they`re so brief with so long between the single-sets-per-exercise. Fatigue only come up when I`m doing hours and hours of manual labor, which can get like day-long workouts. Yeah, doing chores like that`s counterproductive in some ways, but I remind myself that the real reason I exercise is so I can continue to do such stuff despite getting older.

EDIT#whatever...I hope I`ve *finally* corrected all the typos in this! Sheesh, I`m typing like a klutz today :o
 
jrock645- So what`s your verdict on the DBs and Bench?

Do the DBs have, uhm...straight...handles or ones that are bigger in the middle?
 
Havent paid much attention to the handles, tbh. Straight i think.

DB’s and bench im happy with, just wish i had more weight. The 52.5lbs each means high rep work for pressing movements. Im over 20 for incline bench and even 15+ for overhead and it just sucks after a while.

For legs, 105lbs on bulgarian split squats is plenty. Pistol squats dont really even need weight. Those are my primary movements for legs.

And yeah, all this high rep work makes it hard to progress after a while. Plateau busting methods pretty much always involve adding weight to lower the rep range, but i dont have that tool available right now. Blows.

Its probably gonna be a bit longer but i cant wait to get back in the gym and get back to “real training.” All this at home stuff is bothering my back. Improvised movements and such. And not having an elliptical to warm up on hurts. I have stiff hips and nothing loosens them up like an elliptical does. So im in more pain than ive been in in quite a while. Really ready to get back to the routine that was working really well. Not that this isnt giving results, its just boring. Some days i just improv a workout with bands and make it up as i go instead of following what menno drew up for me. Just so burnt out on the at home stuff.
 
jrock645- Thanks for explaining, I do find our differing situations/approaches endlessly fascinating!

You might look into PlateMates- magnetized add-on weights that I use on my DBs. Not *that*much more, but maybe enough to tweak the presses (and yeah...I can see how 52.5 just doesn`t work forever on those).

Speaking of finding your approaches interesting, your doing (only) those two movements for Legs did get my attention :D Ever consider adding some Bent-knee Leg Lifts for your Rectus Femoris? AFAIK that`s the only movement that really hits those, and since they`re what raise the leg to walk/etc. I do like to hit `em. Your DBs might be OK, especially if you add a small band.

And yeah...not having access to the Elliptical must be tough. No way to loosen up the hips/etc. through Hamstring/Glute work?

I sure hope you don`t [mess] yourself up..stiff hips = tricky situation injury-wise IMO... And/but I hear more and more places are opening up their Gyms, maybe yours will open up again soon.
 
For some reason, Pistols never really worked as a Quad-developer for me. Once I got dialed-in on them the benefits stopped coming and I started feeling that I was risking injury when I tried to up their intensity. OK, I`m paranoid about injuries, but I don`t want to start having them now after avoiding them since forever!

I don`t think I ever got over 25lbs. when augmenting Pistols by holding a DB.
 
For some reason, Pistols never really worked as a Quad-developer for me. Once I got dialed-in on them the benefits stopped coming and I started feeling that I was risking injury when I tried to up their intensity. OK, I`m paranoid about injuries, but I don`t want to start having them now after avoiding them since forever!

I don`t think I ever got over 25lbs. when augmenting Pistols by holding a DB.

yeah i dont go all the way down on pistols. I just get to parallel by going down to seat level on my bench. Im up to about 30lbs for 12 on those. I think the bulgarians and weighted step ups are a better exercise. I hate the step ups though. Despise them.
 
jrock645- Ah, quick reply from you...glad I logged back on :D

Going down to "calves touch hams" was probably part of why I felt the Pistols were risky.

Step-ups were another that worried me once I got dialed-in enough to feel I was being serious with `em..I even have a swell step-up bench that`s nice and stable (and decently adjustable) but now I just use it to hold the DBs before I start things like presses.

Do the Bulgarians hit all the parts of your Quads? Do you feel adequately stable? I dunno if I`d want to try those with really heavy weight, but then I never did `em enough to get truly dialed-in.

I guess all those "single-leg free/body-weight movements" lack the stability I want...some would say that`s a feature, but [REPEAT concerns about injuries].

Even when I try One-leg Calf Raises...they`re tough alright, but they never translate into actual *gains* for some reason..maybe because I have to use so much less weight. But gee, SO MANY people do fine with those..one leg, hold a DB...but they bring my Calf development to a screeching halt in no time.
 
"I despise `em..."

Sounds like me with regard to the AirDyne and Leg Day! But not nearly as much as previously...kinda funny, but these days I no longer dread those, almost look forward to `em. My mindset flipped a switch while I wasn`t paying attention :D Lowering the frequency undoubtedly factored in, and/but I`m still simply amazed by how little exercising I have to do in some regards, never woulda thunk it for many years.
 
Bulgarins take a little work to get good at. Initially, you wont feel stable and youll blame balance but its really a strength issue. I dont have the stability issue anymore. Theyre a better version of a lunge imo. And yeah, i feel like they hit the whole quad, and even the glute if youre getting as low as you should be.
 
Ah, OK...and yeah, I can see that about the stability/strength relationship, reminds me of how hard it once was to just stand on one leg for few minutes.

How long after Leg Day before you can do anything leg-related again? My inability to do much of *anything* for days is the one sore spot in my training, it messes with the balancing act between RT and Cardio, the sweet spot for one isn`t optimal for the other due to the RT Recovery thing :(

When you plateau, do you ever consider that maybe you`ve just hit your genetic potential? Between your diet, training, and the HRT you`re sure covering all the bases!

Heh heh, OK...enough posting, gotta go do Fores and Core (pretty easy RT day on Friday for once).
 
Ah, OK...and yeah, I can see that about the stability/strength relationship, reminds me of how hard it once was to just stand on one leg for few minutes.

How long after Leg Day before you can do anything leg-related again? My inability to do much of *anything* for days is the one sore spot in my training, it messes with the balancing act between RT and Cardio, the sweet spot for one isn`t optimal for the other due to the RT Recovery thing :(

When you plateau, do you ever consider that maybe you`ve just hit your genetic potential? Between your diet, training, and the HRT you`re sure covering all the bases!

Heh heh, OK...enough posting, gotta go do Fores and Core (pretty easy RT day on Friday for once).


I train legs almost daily, but usually only a couple sets and never to failure. Plateaus happen, but thats where reactive deloads and proper progression modeling comes into play. Eventually, gains inevitably slow down. I still thing i have a ways to go before getting to that point.

The training is a bit different now with limited equipment. Menno himself trains 7 days a week, all full body. But that doesn`t mean squatting to failure 7 days a week. A couple days could be squats, another couple days might be RDL’s, another leg extrnsions, etc. You could be varying rep ranges on squat days, and possibly intensity levels as you get more advanced. He even recommends bloodflow reatriction training for more advanced trainees- like 30% of 1rm on leg extension for upwards of 30 reps- and i assume he employs this technique as he says hes pretty well maxed out his genetics, gaining less than 1lb of muscle per year.

Balanced properly, i actually rarely feel very sore from his workouts. The volume per body part per session isnt high(it is over the course of the training week, though), we dont lift to failure, and getting blood into the muscle 4-5 days a week actually seems to help with recovery.
 
I train legs almost daily, but usually only a couple sets and never to failure.

Now *that* really surprises me! Although I suspect that practically speaking it`s not that different from all the work my legs get during the hours of daily chores (which can get me as sore as a maxed-out lifting session, fair bit of to-failure work some times since I`m not using a Bobcat/etc.).


Though if I don`t train to failure when I *do* exercise (every 3 weeks for upper legs has turned out best for me although I can go four without any real dowside), I lose size/strength after about 5-6 weeks. Deconditioning goes faster for my other muscle groups since they don`t get used as much all the time.

Plateaus happen..Eventually, gains inevitably slow down.. [Menno].. says hes pretty well maxed out his genetics, gaining less than 1lb of muscle per year..

Yeah, otherwise some guys would be benching skyscrapers :D I`d sure *expect him to be maxed out by now..I can`t imagine anybody taking more than ~5 years unless they`re doing something really wrong (as I sure did for a long, long time :o ).

I still thing i have a ways to go before getting to that point.

I sometimes forget that I`ve been doing this for decades longer and that unlike most I`m merely tweaking details while primarily working at not suffering age-related decline.

Related- How`s your MMC coming along?

The training is a bit different now with limited equipment..

No doubt! I would never be able to maintain my normal condition if I had to train elsewhere/with different stuff for long.

Menno himself trains 7 days a week, all full body. But that doesn`t mean squatting to failure 7 days a week. A couple days could be squats, another couple days might be RDL’s, another leg extrnsions, etc. You could be varying rep ranges on squat days, and possibly intensity levels as you get more advanced...

OK, but I`d be a little surprised if he continues to train that way into his elderly years. But hey, somebody somewhere probably does fine with any approach you can think of...look at the stuff Jack Lalane was still doing and the way Bill Pearl continued to train!

He even recommends bloodflow reatriction training for more advanced trainees..

That`s getting a lot of attention in some quarters these days.

Balanced properly, i actually rarely feel very sore from his workouts. The volume per body part per session isnt high(it is over the course of the training week, though), we dont lift to failure, and getting blood into the muscle 4-5 days a week actually seems to help with recovery.

OK, as long as you`re getting the results you want, that`s all that really counts.

Are you aiming at any specific goal/timeframe to achieve it?

I`m still working on those ~3lbs of bodyfat I`d like to lose, maybe halfway there after...what?...three or so years maybe. As I said, just fine-tuning while working to not lose any size/strength/endurance as I age.

And I *still* haven`t started doing Planks! I keep thinking how you convinced me I probably should (only to quit doing them yourself) and it still sounds right, but I just haven`t done `em! By the time I get to my Core work at the end of the workouts, which take [freakin`] *forever* since I take so long between sets, I`m just so focused on *getting done already* that I don`t want to add anything, much less figure out how to go about something new. Or at least, well...that`s my excuse :o
 
Back
Top